Core removing plunger



Sept. 15, 1936. J H, HOWARD I 2,054,254

CORE REMOVI NG PLUNGER Filed June 12, 1934 [NVENTOR JOHN E Hal 1442217 A TTQJPNEY Patented so t. is, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE connamovnvc PLUNGER- John 11. Howard, Huntington rot-k. Oalii., as-

' signor to Globe Oil Tools Company, Los Nietoa CaliL, a corporation of California Application Juno z, 1934, Serial No. 730,212

3 Claims. (cl. zs5--1 This invention relates to apparatus for use in connection with a well core drilL'or the like, and relates more particularly to a plunger for forcing or removing a core from, the barrel of. a well 5 core drill. A general object of this invention is to provide a simple, practical and particularly efiective plunger useful in removing a core of earth formation from the barrel of a core drill.

The cores received in the barrels of well core 19., drills are oi'ten quite diflicult to extract or remove. It is the common'practice to arrange a plunger in the barrel above or at one end of the core and then pass fluid under pressure into the barrel behind the plunger to drive the plunger through the barrel and thus force the core from the barrel. Because of the irregularities usually present on the interior of a core drill it is not practical to employ a plunger having metallic parts for sealing with the interior of the barrel on and the plungers now in general use are formed of rubber and the like. I on a core is relatively loose in the barrel a pipe or similar object is sometimes employed to drive the plunger through the barrel for the purpose of forcing the core from the barrel. This use of a pipe or the like to force the plunger and core through the barrel is very destructive to e. rubber plunger or a plunger having eosed sealing be injured-by the pipe. to An object of the invention is, to providers plunger for use in rerno a core from a barrel that includes means for sealing with the interior of the barrel that are fully protected against engagement by a pipe, rod or similar object that may be employed to drive the plunger through the barrel.

Another object oi the invention is to provide a core removing plunger that includes a novel and particularly eflective scraping or wiping ele- 40 ment for clearing sand and other solid material from the inner wall'ol the barrel in advance oi the sealing parts so that such solid matter may not pass or catch in the sealing partsto allow the lee of fluid under pressure past the so pler.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plunger oi the character mentioned that includes spaced cup leathers or sealing cup parts arranged.

and formed to be particularly eflective in sealing so with the interior oi the core barrel.

Another objector the invention is to provide a parts that y scope of the cl I I The core extracting or removing plunger pro 46 a plunger of the character mentioned that is simple and inexpensive of manufacture and that is sturdy and long wearing.

other objects and features of my invention will be better and more fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical form and application or the invention, throughout which description reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a one quarter longitudinal cross sec- 10 tional view or a core barrel containing a core 11-- lustrating, the plunger provided by the present invention in the barrel and means supplying fluid pressure to the barrel to drive the plunger .and core through the barrel. Fig. 2 is an enlarged 15 side elevation of the plunger illustrating one quarter in longitudinal cross section. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the rear or trailing end of the plunger and Fig. i is a transverse detailed sec-= gaging view taken as indicated by line H on so The plunger oi the present invention is adapted to be employed in removing coresirom the barrels'of various classes of tools and may be used in connection with various forms of apparatus for 25 passing fluid under pressure into the barrel. In the drawing 1 have shown the improved plunger employed in removing a core C from a more or less typical barrel B and have shown fluid -pressure being supplied to the barrel by a pump P to whose delivery line L is connected with the barrel B by the pressure head l-l. The head l-ll is removably connected with the barrel B and operates to pass the pumped fluid into the barrel and seals the end of the barrel to retain high 35 fluid pressures therein. The present invention is not primarily concerned with the particular type of pump or pressure head used in removing the core from the barrel and theinvention is not to be construed as limited or restrictedto the in specific application of the invention illustrated. in the drawing, but is to be taken as including any features or modifications that may fall within the vided by the present invention, includes, gener ally, a body is, a wiping element ii on the for= ward end of the-body for scraping or removing solid matter from the internal wall of the barrel B, and means it in trailing relation to the ele- '50 ment ii for sealing with the interior of the barrel B.

The body I B is formed or steel, iron or other suitable metal and is substantially cylindrical in its generaliconflguration. The body I II is proportioned to enter and pass through the barrel B with suitable clearance. In the preferred construction the body In is hollow and is closed at one end. A wall or head t3 closes the forward the sealing means 12.

end of the body. Internal reinforcing ribs l4 extend along the inner wall of the body I0 and joinat a ring IS on the innerside of the head I3. The inner or forward portion of the body I0 is stepped at its periphery having a portion I 6 of reduced external diameter. A projection or extension l! is provided on the outer side! of the head [3. The extension I1 is hollow or tubular and is concentric with the longitudinal axis of the plunger. :An annular inwardly projecting flange I8 is provided on the rear end of the body In to carry a projection or extension IS. The extension I9 is concentric with the longitudinal axis of the body and in the case illustrated in the drawing is of the same diameter as the forward extension H. The extension I9 is preferably tubular having an opening 28 whereby the body In is open at its rear end. The body l0 just described may be onepiece, or integral.

The wiping element II is a feature of the invention and operates to scrape or clear the internal wall of the barrel B of solid matter and thus provide for the proper elficient operation of The element II is carried on the forward body extension I] and is in the nature of an annular body of rubber, rubber composition or the like. In the preferred form of the invention the wiping element H is comparatively thick and rests or bears inwardly on the extension H. The element ll fits the barrel B snugly or very closely to scrape sand and loose solid matter from the interior of the barrel as the plunger is forced through it. A ring or nut 2! is threaded on the extension I! and retains the wiping element I l in position, operating to clamp it against the head I3 through the medium of one of the sealing parts of the means I2. The wiping element l I is normally larger in diameter than the body 10 and may have a plane cylindrical periphery as illustrated throughout the drawing.

The means 12 operates to effectively seal with the interior of the barrel B whereby a high pressure may be built up behind the plunger to force the plunger through the barrel and thus remove or drive the core 0 from the barrel. The means I2 includes a front or forward sealing part 25 and a rear sealing part 26. The sealing parts 25 and 26 are in the nature of sealing cups or cup leathers and may be formed of leather, rubber or the like. The forward sealing part '25 has its inwardly projecting flange 21 clamped between the wiping element II and the forward face of the head l3. The outer or peripheral flange 28 of the forward sealing part 25 projects rearwardly around the portion Iii-whose reduced diameter leaves an annular space forreceiving the flange.

The rear or trailing sealing part 26 surrounds the body extension l9 and its inwardly projecting flange 30 is clamped against the body'flange l8 by a nut 3|. The nut 3| is threaded on the extension l9 and is of less diameter than the body ID to leave a peripheral annular space to receive the sealing flange 32 of the part 26. The nut 3| projects rearwardly beyond the rear edge of the sealing part 26 and its rear or outer end 33 protects the sealing part against engagement by a pipe or rod that may be employed to drive or force the plunger through the barrel B. The rear edges of the sealing flanges 28 and 32 may be bevelled away in the usual manner to admit fluid under pressure behind the flanges to force them outwardly against the internal wall of the barrel B. Fluid under pressure at the rear of the plunger holds the sealing flanges 28 and 32 outwardly against the interior wall of the barrel B so that the sealing parts 25 and 26 prevent the fluid pressure from passing around the plunger and provide for the building up of high fluid pres sure behind the plunger.

It is believed that the operation of-the plunger provided by the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing detailed description. To remove the core C from the barrel B the plunger is inserted in the barrel behind the core and the pressure head H is then connected to the barrel so that fluid under pressure from the pump P is passed into the barrel behind the plunger.

Fluid under pressure at the back of the plunger of course drives or forces the plunger through the barrel and the plunger in turn pushes the core from the barrel. During the advance or movement of the plunger through the barrel the element II has wiping or scraping engagement with the interior of the barrel to remove sand and loose solid matter therefrom. The

sealing flanges 28 and 32 of the sealing parts are tightly forced against the interior of the for the efficient operation of the sealing parts.

25 and 26 and protects the sealing parts against excessive wear by loose solid matter, etc.

In the event that the core C is relatively loose in the barrel B the workman or operator may insert a pipe or rod in the barrel for the purpose of.

driving or forcing the plunger through the barrel to remove the core. When this is done the pipe or rod contacts the interior of the metal body l0 or the end 33 of the nut-3! and cannot damage the sealing parts 25 and 28.01? the plunger. When the sealing parts 25 and 28 and the wiping element H become worn they may be easily and quickly replaced. The plunger is inexpensive and is particularly effective in operation.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific form and application herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any modifications or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art..or fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A plunger for forcing a core from a barrel includinga hollow body for movement through the barrel and having v its rear end open whereby its internal surface is engageable by an implement for forcing the plunger through the barrel,

a reduced extension on the front end of the body,

2. A plunger for forcing a core of earth forma- 7 tion from a barrel including a hollow substantially rigid body having'a closed front and an open rear end, the body being adapted for movement through the barrel by an implement pressed against its open rear end, a projection on the front of the plunger, an element of resilient material on the projection for scraping solid matter from the wall of the barrel, a sealing cup on the projection for cooperating with the wall of the barrel, a reduced extension on the rear end of the body, a sealing cup on the extension for cooperating with the wall of the barrel, and a nut extending into the last mentioned cup and threaded on the extension to retain the last named cup thereon, the nut projecting rearwardly beyond the last named cup to protect the same against engagement by said implement.

3. A plunger for forcing a core from a barrel including a hollow body having a closed front end and an open rear end whereby its interior is engageable by an implement for forcing it through the barrel, a reduced portion at the i'orward end of the body providing a forwardly facing shoulder, a reduced portion at the rear end of the body providing a rearwardly facing shoulder, a sealing cup bearing on the first named shoulder and projecting rearwardly therefrom to seal with the barrel, 9. member threaded on the first named portion and clamping the sealing cup against the shoulder, a sealing cup bearing against the second named shoulderand projecting rearwardly therefrom to seal with the barrel,

a nut extending into the second named sealing cup and threaded onto said second named portion to clamp the second named sealing cup against the second named shoulder, and a part on the nut projecting rearwardly beyond the second named sealing cup to protect it against engagement by said implement.

- JOHN H. HOWARD. 

